Exploring links between the British housing market and land-use planning policy, Jones (estate management, Heriot-Watt U.) and Watkins (property, U. of Sheffield) synthesize ideas and findings they have been generating for several years, and publishing bits of now and then. One of their key themes is that the tendency to talk about a single housing market masks the fact that prices have remained flat or actually fallen in some neighborhoods while rising exuberantly in others. They cover the housing problem, the spatial structure of housing markets, understanding housing submarkets, dynamics of the market, planning for it, planning policies, and the way forward. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Housing systems in many countries are now more market-oriented than ever before. This is particularly true of the UK, where there is heightened interest in the ability of the market to deliver new housing, as well as considerable debate among housing academics and policy makers over the extent to which policy instruments can be used to steer market processes. This increased market orientation means a greater understanding of market economics is needed.
The challenges of providing affordable housing, while simultaneously addressing the problems of low demand housing in some areas, together with the revitalisation of neighbourhoods in need of renewal, also underline the need for a better understanding of the structure and operation of housing markets at local and neighbourhood level.
This timely contribution to the field addresses the main housing and planning policy challenges in the UK today. It does so by examining the structure and operation of the urban housing system and then exploring both conceptual and empirical analyses of the workings of the market. The authors then consider the lessons for policy makers, discussing the limitations of the policy framework and considering the strategies for integrating market information into the analysis undertaken in practice.
Housing Markets & Planning Policy is an invaluable advanced text for students of land economy, land management, urban planning, housing and urban studies. The authors provide a uniquely detailed analysis of an important policy area that builds on a strong theoretical basis drawn from housing economics. With the challenges posed by the instability of the housing market, it will be of particular interest to academic researchers, policy-makers and housing and planning practitioners.
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